Sierra knelt down, examining the charred ground.
"Just like last time… there's no elemental scent left in the soil."
She straightened slowly and looked around, her eyes widening.
"The mana density is heavier here…" she murmured to herself.
She swung her staff in a smooth circular arc. Several small magic circles formed around her body.
"Presence Theft."
The chant was barely audible. The circles hummed with a low, annoying vibration. It made her feel like a ghost.
Her presence vanished from the flow of nature as she moved forward.
Trees and leaves began to glow faintly as she advanced, slipping past the hordes of monsters lurking in the darkness.
None of them reacted. None even turned their heads as she moved like a smudge in the corners of their eyes that they couldn't focus on.
She stopped and raised her hand.
"…Look at that."
Her fingers touched the outer layer of the dome. The particles rippled like liquid at the point of contact.
"Just as I thought," she whispered. "Those Baby Fire Wolves carried far more mana than normal. And the trees in this section… they're circulating mana through their veins."
She looked around in awe, eyes shining; not with fear, but wonder.
"It's just like the stories we grew up with…"
Her voice dropped.
"Density like this… shouldn't exist in the world anymore. This must be a dungeon."
First, a monster capable of wielding Helis, the purest particles that give birth to mana. And now, a dungeon forming deep within the forest.
Sierra could hardly believe what she was witnessing.
After a brief hesitation, she gathered her resolve and stepped forward.
The moment she crossed the boundary, her body lurched.
The world spun. Her vision blurred as nausea slammed into her senses.
The air didn't just feel thick; it felt heavy, like she had stepped into a vat of invisible oil. And thousands of invisible arms wrapped around her throat, crushing the air from her lungs in that vat.
The sudden pressure made her ears pop painfully as the world turned into a dizzy smear of purple and black.
The legendary-ranked mage of the capital staggered, one knee crashing into the ground as her breathing turned ragged.
Sierra clenched her fist.
"Damn it… it's thick, too thick… even for me!"
Another few seconds would have been enough to kill her. She sucked in what little breath she could and forced herself backward, leaping out of the dome.
She landed on all fours, gasping as air finally rushed back into her lungs.
Her chest burned as she dragged in breath after breath. Sweat rolled down her every curve as the damp fabric clung to her body, tracing every line while her head spun violently.
She was shivering. Her staff, usually a symbol of her rank, was the only thing keeping her from face-planting into the dirt as she hacked a dry, painful cough.
The copper taste of blood filled her mouth as she spat out the bad blood.
After a while she struggled to her feet and staggered back toward the camp, using her staff like a cane.
Just once, she turned her head.
The sight of the dome made her heart pound violently in her ears.
And with it came a memory…
Stories of monsters said to possess the power not only to kill but also to erase nations with a single breath.
The sun crept over the horizon, and the warm light of dawn flooded the forest.
The soldiers and marksmen were already arguing among themselves.
"Why did you let her go alone?"
"If anything happens to her, the king won't just kill us! He will erase our families too."
The accusations were hurled toward the female marksman who had last seen Sierra, each question sharper than the last.
She wanted to shout, "She was already gone before I could stop her!", but the weight of responsibility strangled the words in her throat.
Then, between the trees, a figure stumbled into view.
Sierra Lauren.
She was trembling on her feet.
The female marksman noticed first. Her fingers shook as she pointed, and the others rushed forward, worry flashing across their faces.
Two soldiers caught Sierra by the arms, supporting her weight as they carried her back toward the camp. The female marksman followed closely, clutching Sierra's staff as she watched the legendary mage being dragged forward like a wounded soldier.
What kind of place could do this to her…?
Her gaze flicked back to the trees Sierra had emerged from.
They lowered Sierra at the edge of the camp, resting her against a nearby tree. Her breathing was still shallow and uneven.
One of the soldiers scowled.
"Please don't take unnecessary risks, Lady Sierra. Our lives are on the line too."
The female marksman rushed forward with a water pouch.
"Shut up."
She pressed the pouch to Sierra's lips, supporting her head as Sierra drank slowly.
After a moment, the marksman leaned in and whispered,
"What happened?"
Sierra's eyes fluttered weakly. Her voice was barely more than breath.
"The villagers… weren't… lying."
The group froze.
"Need to report…" she continued faintly. "Capital… dungeon…"
Her body slackened.
The word 'Dungeon' hung in the air like a curse as panic spread through the camp. Soldiers stopped and looked at each other with wide, hollow eyes.
"Dungeon?" someone whispered. "As in the myths…?"
No one answered.
Finally, one of the marksmen found her voice.
"We return to the capital," she said firmly. "Now. Her condition must not worsen."
No one argued.
The first scouting party dismantled their camp in silence, moving with grim urgency. They didn't just pack; they scrambled. Gear was shoved into the bags with shaking hands. Everyone was suddenly desperate to have as many trees between them and that place Sierra had just escaped.
As soon as they were ready, they turned back toward the capital leaving the forest, the dome, and whatever waited within it behind.
Inside the Natural Habitat
I woke up feeling… light.
Not alert or tensed, just rested.
"…That was a good nap."
It surprised me how easily the words came out.
Since opening my eyes in this world, I'd slept before, but it had always felt shallow. Like my body was lying down while my mind stayed half-awake, waiting for something to go wrong.
This time, it felt different. It felt complete.
Before I could think too much about it, I reached up, grabbed a yellow fruit hanging above me, and tore it free. I bit into it mid-landing.
Warm, thick juice burst across my tongue filling my mouth with sweetness.
My level ticked up again.
"…Right. Five fruits a day."
I chewed slowly, staring at the half-eaten fruit in my hand.
"So I don't have to rush."
That thought lingered longer than it should have.
Food was… handled. For the first time, it wasn't something clawing at the back of my mind, pushing me toward killing just to survive.
I swallowed the last bite and wiped my mouth with the back of my paw, then looked ahead.
I stepped deeper into the habitat.
"Let's see what's actually here…"
The further I walked, the more the place pulled at my attention. Trees sagged under the weight of fruit. Stones scattered across the ground shimmered faintly, each a different color. Energy flowed through everything, quiet and steady, almost like breathing.
Then…
A chime cut through the silence.
[You have reached the center of the Natural Habitat.]
[Do you wish to begin construction of your domain?]
I stopped.
"…My domain?"
I read the words again.
Then again.
Food was taken care of. And now, this?
Shelter. A place of my own. It felt… too convenient.
I hesitated, then selected Yes.
The window shifted, replacing the message with a list.
Normal Stone — 0 / 500
Helisite — 0 / 1000
Normal Wood — 0 / 1000
Heliswood — 0 / 5000
A note sat beneath it.
[Return to the center and select Build once materials are gathered.]
"…That's a lot."
I stared at the numbers as a dull pressure settled behind my mind.
"Where am I even supposed to find all this?"
The system responded immediately, as if it had been waiting.
[Normal stone and wood can be gathered outside the Natural Habitat.]
[Helisite and Heliswood can be found within the Habitat.]
I exhaled.
"At least that answers something."
So… outside first.
I turned, looking toward the faint outline of the boundary where the energy thickened and bent.
"Stone and wood come first," I muttered. "I can deal with the rest later."
The sun was already well above the canopy. If I was going to leave the habitat, this was probably the safest time to do it.
I started toward the boundary.
I didn't know it… not then.
As I walked toward the edge of the habitat, already planning which stones to gather first, the world beyond the forest was already stirring.
Far from the trees, far from the dome, people with real power gathered in sealed chambers, quietly discussing the reactivation of ancient instruments that had remained untouched for generations.
Messengers were already moving. Orders were being drafted. All because something had appeared that was not supposed to exist.
A place that bent mana.
A place that fed monsters without killing others.
A place that didn't obey the rules civilization had built its safety on.
While I thought about shelter and food…
The first step toward containment was already being taken.
And the ones who called themselves civilized had decided, it could not be allowed to remain free.